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Our Travels
The Ballet
Tonight we spend an Evening at the Ballet at the Alexandrinsky Theatre. <Swan Lake> by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, was composed 1875–1876. It was based on Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The Alexandrinsky Theatre building was designed by K. Rossi and opened on August 31, 1832. It is one of the outstanding samples of Russian Classicism.
Day 6 July 5: - Peter & Paul Fortress -Nevsky Prospect -Peterhof
St. Petersburg was founded as the new capital of the Russian Empire in 1703. It was the vision and creation of Tsar Peter the Great, who named it after his patron saint, Peter. This beautiful city, covers 150 square miles, is a synthesis of both European and Russian styles. St. Petersburg has more than 40 picturesque islands, more than 60 canals, and hundreds of bridges. St. Petersburg is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
These are some photos of St Petersburg as we began our tour. <St Petersburg_5>
Peter & Paul Fortress
This morning we went to the <Peter & Paul Fortress.> On May 27, 1703, considered the city’s birth date, Peter the Great laid the foundations of the fortress on an island in the Neva River to protect the city and Russia’s access to the sea from the Swedish armies during the Northern Wars. Within the fortress is St. Peter and Paul Cathedral, whose spire is topped by a golden angel holding a cross and is the symbol of the city. Peter the Great and all the Russian emperors and empresses are buried here. The Cathedral made headlines when the remains of the last Romanov family (Nicholas, Alexandra, and Anastasia) were laid to rest. Exactly 80 years after their execution by Bolsheviks, on July 17, 1998, the last Czar of Russia and his family were buried in the crypt of St Petersburg's St Peter and Paul Cathedral.
After the visit to the Peter & Paul Fortress we spent time on Nevsky Prospect, St. Petersburg’s main avenue. Nevsky Prospect is the center of business, trade activities, cultural life, shopping, entertainment, and nightlife. In addition to being home to many churches of different denominations, there are many other attractions on Nevsky Prospect: the largest department store in the city, Gostiny Dvor; the National Library of Russia; the monument to Catherine the Great; Anichkov Bridge with its beautiful statues.
Peterhof
In the early afternoon we made an excursion to the magnificent summer residence of the Russian royalty at <Peterhof>. In 1714, Peter the Great asked for a “Versailles by the Sea.” The site evolved into a grand palace atop the hill surrounded by a park, and smaller palaces. Extending from the palace is the remarkable Grand Cascade. This is an extraordinary fountain ensemble made up of three waterfalls, nearly 150 fountains shooting more than 2,000 jets of water, and a myriad of statues and sculptures. Peterhof’s waterworks, after more than 250 years, continue to operate over 13 miles without pumps, relying on a system of gravity.
Day 7 July 6: -Svir Stroi
Today we leave St Petersburg and start our river trip to Moscow. <Start of cruise> About 22 miles from St Petersburg we came to the Shlisselburg Fortress (also known as Fortress Oreshek.) Claimed at various times by the Novogorod Republic, Finland, Sweden and Russia. Imperial Russia used the fortress as a notorious political prison; among its famous prisoners were Wilhelm Küchelbecker (Russian poet and Decembrist), Mikhail Bakunin (Russian revolutionary libertarian socialist) and, for 38 years, Walerian Łukasiński (Polish activist). Ivan VI of Russia was murdered in the fortress in 1764, and Lenin's brother, Aleksandr Ulyanov, was hanged there as well. <Cruise to Svir Stroi>